D N Zero
by Emerald-Sekai
Summary: It's been nearly two years since the death of Light Yagami. The world is as it was... Now, Near has been forced to summon the SPK once again. With a new Death Note wielder on the loose, will Near have to place his faith in a very different sort of Kira?
1. Birth of Zero

Author's Notes: This is a little side project I've been toying around with. I haven't made much headway with either plot or actual writing yet, so expect updates to be irregular, but I wanted to see what people think of this. And as always, if you guys think I'm writing a Canon character badly, feel free to call me on it. That's one of the reasons I post my works here for all to see.

Anyway... D.N. Zero, here goes nothing!

--

_Japan, Downtown Tokyo_

Asahi Kouya ran down the long alleyway, throwing terrified glances back at her pursuer. The huge man leered at her. "Hey, slow down, cutie!" he called.

Kouya screamed and kept running. "Help!" she yelled.

Without warning, her foot caught and she fell hard on the ground. The man came up, grinning, and caught her by the arm. "Come on…" he chuckled. "I won't hurt ya…"

Kouya shivered, and kicked her attacker with all her strength in his weakest place. The man yelled and leaned heavily against the wall, but refused to let go. "You little bitch!" he yelled. "I'll make you regret messing with me!" He pulled a pistol from his waistband and pointed it between her eyes. "Last chance," he growled, breathing heavily. "Let me have my way with you, or I splatter your skull all over this alley!"

"My, my," came a voice. "That would never do. The place is dirty enough already." A tall, slim figure appeared out of the shadows. "Let her go," he said softly.

The gunman glared at this newcomer. "One more step, and the girl gets it!" he yelled.

The figure sighed, and pulled out a small black notebook. Tearing out a page, he scribbled something on it and extended it towards the man. "Here," he said. "This should make things clearer."

The man glared at Kouya for a moment. "Move, and I'll perforate your skull," he warned, and then released her arm so he could take the paper. He looked down at it. "Look up?" he read, incredulous. "What are you…?"

As he spoke, he looked up, and then trailed off. A look of horror dawned on his face. "Aaah!" he screamed. "What is that thing?" He fired a shot into the air.

The figure shook his head. "Bullets won't hurt it." He opened the notebook, and flipped through a few pages. "You see…" he continued, "I am an agent of the gods themselves. What you see is my shinigami partner… and this is his tool of death!"

The gunman pointed his gun at the figure. "Make it stop!" he yelled.

The figure nodded. "Put down the gun now," he said. "You have until I finish writing down your name." His eyes flashed. "Then your fate is sealed."

The gunman cocked his gun and took a step forward. "I'll kill you!" he shouted.

Kouya watched as her savior suddenly pulled out a pen and dashed a single line across the page. "Kimura Toushi," he intoned. "Accosted in the midst of a violent crime by an unknown man. Attempts to fire his gun at the interfering party, but finds it jammed. Dies of a heart attack exactly forty seconds later."

The gunman stared. "How… how did you know my name?"

The figure smiled. "I told you…" he said softly. "I am an agent of the shinigami."

Sweating furiously, the attacker tried to fire, but only a loud "CLICK" sounded. The figure chuckled. "As I said," he breathed. "Your gun's jammed. And now… _sayonara,_ Kimura Toushi."

The gunman roared and tried to rush at the figure, but halfway there, he let out a loud cry and clutched at his chest. Before Kouya's shocked eyes, he collapsed to the ground and lay still.

Her savior smiled at her. "Are you all right?" he asked kindly. "It's a good thing I heard your scream. That could have ended badly."

Kouya trembled slightly. "But…" she gasped.

The figure nodded. "Yeah… he's dead," he said, almost wistfully. "He left me with no choice." He turned. "Do you live nearby, or should I ask someone to help you get back?"

Kouya ran and caught his arm. "Please, don't leave me alone here!" she cried out. "I'm lost, and I don't want someone like that to…"

He barely heard her. His eyes were fixed on her hands. "Asahi-san…" he muttered. "Darn it…"

Kouya looked at him, surprised. "What?" she asked.

He shook his head, looking down. Her hands were clinging to his, and to the notebook he was holding. "Whatever you see in the next few minutes," he said, now deadly serious, "Don't scream."

Kouya looked at him. "What…?" She turned to look behind her, and gasped.

Floating above them, lit up as the full moon peeked over the top of the alleyway, was a fearsome figure. Its body was roughly human-shaped, but it had four arms, two of which were folded behind its back, and its skin was leathery and brown. The skin around the mouth seemed shrunken, revealing a mouth full of fangs, and its eyes were blue and glassy. Two wide, dragon-like wings extended from its back, nearly scraping the houses on either side.

The creature opened up its mouth and laughed. "You really screwed it up this time," it said. "So, what are you gonna do now? Kill her?"

The young man shook his head. "Kira would have done so in an instant," he said calmly, "But I am not Kira." To Kouya, he added, "Don't worry."

Kouya stared. "It's really a shinigami…" she breathed. "They do exist…"

Her savior extended his hand. "Come on," he said softly. "Let's go find you a taxi."

At the end of the alleyway, they paused. Kouya fidgeted. "So… you're really an agent of the shinigami?" she asked.

The young man laughed. "Not a chance," he said. "That was just theatrics, trying to scare that guy off. No, I just found Zerak's notebook."

Kouya nodded. "Zerak… the shinigami?" she said softly.

Zerak chuckled. "Found it?" he said. "I gave it to you, remember?"

Light shone down the street as a taxi drove towards them. The young man nodded. "That's my cue," he said softly. "I'd best go."

"Wait!" Kouya called after him. "At least tell me your name!"

Her savior turned. As the taxi came to a stop, its lights lit up his face for a moment. It was a calm, smiling face. Long brown hair framed a pair of twinkling blue eyes. "Well, it's best if I don't tell you my real name," he said softly. "But, let's see…"

Zerak shrugged. "Why not 'Kira'?" he suggested.

The young man shook his head. "I'm not anything like him…" His eyes widened. "Ah, that will work, though." He smiled at Kouya. "If you want to call me something," he said softly, turning slightly, "Call me… Kira-zero." He turned away from her and strode briskly off down the alleyway once more.

--

_The Shinigami World, a few weeks earlier_

In the beginning, it all began with a simple bit of gossip.

"Hey, Zerak!" At the sound of the voice, Zerak turned to see Obek striding casually towards him. "Did you hear?" Obek called again.

Zerak shrugged, glancing casually at his companion. Although the young shinigami could get on one's nerves sometimes, Zerak usually welcomed Obek's presence as a bit of excitement in an otherwise bleak existence.

Obek came to a halt just in front of Zerak and gave him a wide grin, which made his elongated, skull-like face seem even more creepy. He stretched his tattered, bat-like wings and fixed his empty eyes on Zerak's face. "Did you hear about Ryuk?" he asked, excited.

Zerak shook his head. "No…" he said, casually. "I haven't seen him for months. Not since he came back from the human world, anyway."

Obek grinned. "Well, he finally started talking about what he was doing down there!" he announced.

Zerak raised an eyebrow. "And?" he asked, curious now.

Obek chuckled. "He was working with a human! And he touched off a killing spree all over the planet! It was awesome!"

If he had had eyelids, Zerak would have blinked. "Really?" he muttered. "But, then, why did he come back?"

Obek nodded, making a rattling noise as his bones grated together. "The human he was working with, a guy called 'Kira'… They sent their best detectives after him, but Kira's a smart one. He even got L killed… along with Rem!"

Zerak took a step back. "Rem?" he breathed. "But… what happened to her?"

Obek's grin widened. "Kira maneuvered her so that she'd have to kill L to save someone she cared about… And of course, that's the ultimate crime for a shinigami!" he crowed.

Zerak shook his head. Rem had been weird, but he had often enjoyed her presence, as much as he enjoyed Obek's. "So, what happened?" he asked.

Obek paused, thinking, and then continued, "Well, once L was gone, everyone was flustered. Kira because nothing short of a god in his own right. And then…" He bowed his head slightly. "L's successors… 'Mello' and 'Near'… they caught Kira and killed him."

Zerak smiled slightly. "So in the end, Ryuk's human died… and he came back?" he asked, still curious. "But why'd he do it in the first place?"

Obek laughed. "There's the best part! You know what Ryuk says?" When Zerak shook his head, Obek grinned and said, "Just because he was bored! He says humans are really entertaining to watch!"

Zerak paused. "Boredom…" He grinned. "You know, Obek… I've been getting kind of bored lately myself…"

--

_Japanese Police Headquarters, present time_

Matsuda Touta whistled happily to himself as he opened the front door of the headquarters. He caught sight of a familiar face and broke into a smile. "Hi, Chief!" he called out.

Aizawa Shuichi looked up from the papers in his hand and nodded. "Matsuda," he said. "Glad you're here. Everyone else is already upstairs."

Matsuda blinked. "Upstairs? What's going on?" he asked, confused.

Aizawa's left eyelid lowered slightly. "You didn't get the message, did you?" he muttered. "Good grief…" He shook his head, and fixed his eyes on Matsuda. "Watarai sent out a message. The members of the SPK are supposed to meet today."

Matsuda's eyes went wide. "Watarai?" he breathed. "So, then…" He flinched. "Oh, man… I didn't know! Let's get going, then!"

Aizawa sighed as Matsuda took off running. "Room 205!" he called after the fleeing young detective. "Geez… he's still as scatterbrained as ever…"

Inside room 205, the other members of the SPK had gathered, seated around a long conference table. As Matsuda entered, followed by Aizawa, Mogi Kanzo looked up and sighed. "You're late, Matsuda-san," he muttered. "Where have you been?"

From the corner, Halle Lidner spoke up. "He probably didn't get the message, that's all. Cut the kid a little slack."

Stephen Gevanni, seated just to the right of the head of the long table, shook his head. "No excuse," he said. "He should have been paying attention."

The last member, Ide Hideki, raised his hand. "Not quite fair, Gevanni-san," he said. "I was just looking over my records, and my message didn't get sent to him until this morning." He raised one eyebrow. "He's not quite as meticulous as you, so I guess he didn't check his e-mail before work."

Matsuda sat down near Mogi, and leaned his elbows on the table. "So, what's this all about?" he said, excited.

Aizawa sat down opposite from Gevanni. "Wait a moment, would you?" he said. "We'll find out in a moment."

A few minutes later, after Matsuda had been told off at least half a dozen times for fidgeting by Gevanni, a soft knock came at the room's far door. Aizawa nodded. "Come in," he said.

The door opened slowly, and a young man with messy white hair entered the room. As he seated himself at the head of the table, crouched in his chair, Matsuda caught his breath. "Near…" he said softly.

Near looked slowly around the table. "We're all present," he noted simply. "Good. Where's Watarai?"

Mogi produced a laptop computer from his bag and set it up at the far end of the table. As he plugged it in, a white screen with the letter "W" on it in old, Gothic font came up. "I'm here, Near," came a distorted voice from the computer.

Aizawa rested one hand on the table. "So, what's this all about, Near?" he asked.

Near tugged at a lock of his hair. "Kira," he said simply. "Or at least, something like him. Obviously I can't be sure."

The other members gasped. Matsuda grit his teeth. "But… but Yagami-kun died, didn't he?" he shouted.

Near shrugged, and tugged his hair again. "Ryuk didn't," he said. "And there are far more shinigami than just him." He looked up at the computer. "Watarai?"

A window appeared on the computer screen, and Watarai's voice came from the speakers again. "We have recorded twenty-two cases so far, beginning about two months ago." A map of downtown Tokyo appeared, and several red dots began to appear on the map. "As you can see, the locations are completely without pattern. However, they are clustered within a certain radius, indicating that the person is local."

Aizawa tapped one finger on the table. "But what makes these cases so special?" he asked. "Twenty-two killings… with the world the way it is after Kira's death, that's not much."

Near placed his bag on the table and pulled several figurines out of it. One of them was the "Kira" figure that the other SPK members had seen him use often during the case. "For starters," he said, setting up the Kira figure, along with two others, "The cases are not all killings. In fact, only six of them are."

Aizawa's eyes widened. "And yet you're talking about Kira?" he muttered. "What's going on, Near?"

Near shook his head. He placed a "jailbird" figure several inches from the Kira figure, and set a small female figure nearby the jailbird. "The incidents are too formulaic to be coincidence," he said. "And the six instances where somebody did die indicate the presence of Kira's power."

Matsuda rose slightly in his chair. "And what's this 'formula', Near?" he asked.

Near slid the Kira figure towards the other two. "First of all," he said, "We have a witness at each of these incidents. This is very unusual for a Kira-type criminal; knowing Raito-kun, he and anyone like him would have eliminated anyone who could have revealed anything about him to the police." With his free hand, he pointed the jailbird so its gun was pointing menacingly at the female. "Second, every single witness reports having been attacked, shortly before 'Kira's' arrival."

Ide rubbed his chin. "So, 'Kira' always strikes in the middle of another violent crime?" he muttered. "That's completely different from every Kira we've encountered before."

Near nodded. "And there's more," he continued. "The witnesses all report seeing a cloaked and hooded figure, who interfered with their attackers. Although nobody has had a good look at his face, enough details emerged that we could at least confirm it's the same person in each case." He placed the Kira figure next to the other two. "In other words, this new Kira has been on-site at each of the killings."

Lidner stood up straight for the first time in the meeting. "So, what happens in the other cases?"

Near picked up the Kira figure and touched its tiny Death Note to the jailbird. "In every single case, killing or otherwise, the witness reported a strange black notebook. The attacker either touched the book or its pages, or was touched by them." He dug out a figure of Ryuk from the bag. "And then," he continued, "The attackers went mad, screaming and often shooting at something the witnesses could not see."

Matsuda stared. "A shinigami?" he whispered.

Near nodded. "This Kira apparently likes to put on a performance. He's even mentioned the word 'shinigami' on several occasions." He put down the Ryuk figurine. "After that, one of two options presents itself. Either the attacker runs away in fear of this invisible threat, or he tries to attack Kira, and is stricken by a heart attack in mid-lunge, and dies." He toppled the jailbird figurine. "The pattern is obvious," he concluded.

Gevanni nodded. "And so is the manifestation of Kira's power," he added.

Near nodded. "And it's also likely he has the shinigami's eyes," he said. "The witness accounts, and the ability to kill people he has never met before, corroborate this."

Matsuda raised his hand timidly. "But… I mean…"

Near looked at him. "I'm guessing you have a similar objection to the ones you had about Kira?" he said softly.

Matsuda gulped, but nodded. "Well, I mean, has a crime even been committed here?" he asked. "I know that Kira turned out to be evil, but…"

Near nodded. "It's true, actually," he said. "Every case involved a man armed with either a knife or a gun, and deadly force is certainly allowable in self defense in a case like that." He frowned. "But all the same, it interests me… and of course, there's the chance that he might decide to break out of his usual pattern."

"Something like this, you mean?" Watarai's voice brought everyone's attention back to the computer, as another window popped up, this one displaying a newscast. Across the bottom was displayed the banner, "Mass Killing at L. A. Penitentiary".

Ide leapt up and turned on the conference room's television. Luckily, it was already set to the same channel. "Recapping the events," the announcer was saying, "Over fifty major criminals imprisoned here at Los Angeles Penitentiary have suddenly and mysteriously dropped dead, seemingly from heart attacks."

Aizawa caught his breath. "Heart attacks…" he gasped.

Mogi's eyes flashed. "Kira," he muttered.

The announcer continued, "The attacks, naturally, immediately bring to mind the Kira case of several months ago. Has Kira perhaps returned from the grave to continue his work?"

Gevanni's eye twitched slightly. "Why, exactly, are we watching this on FOX News, Watarai?" he grumbled.

"It was the first station I saw it on," Watarai replied. "And anyway, even with the reporters' well-known bias, we can still extract all the facts we need."

Near nodded. "And conclusions," he added. "Such as the fact that this is obviously not the Kira we were just discussing."

Ide stared at him. "Not the same Kira?" he yelped. "But… that means…"

Near nodded. "There are two Death Notes floating around in the human world," he said calmly. "That is the most likely and obvious conclusion." He dug out a figure of Mikami Teru from his bag. "It's a poor choice of figure," he commented. "After all, it's also very unlikely these two Kira are connected."

Matsuda crossed his arms. "Well, I can see why you'd say they're not the same person," he said. "After all, their actions are totally different."

Near nodded. "The Kira we were just discussing was put at gunpoint exactly seven times and didn't kill any of those attackers," he stated. "There is no way that he would kill dozens of people he had never seen before."

Watarai spoke up again. "In addition, several of the dead criminals were guilty only of robbery, armed or otherwise; these people had never committed a violent crime of any sort."

Near placed Teru's figure across from Kira's, and butted their heads together. "As for them not working together… their differing ideals would never allow it to happen," he said.

Lidner suddenly pointed to the screen, eyes wide. "Look!" she yelled, unusually upset.

The others turned to the TV. A fearful-looking news anchor was speaking. "FOX News has… has just received a tape… purporting to be from Kira…" he stammered. "In accordance with his demands… and having already seen a demonstration of his powers at L.A., we… we have no choice but to play it." He gulped. "On behalf of the station, I apologize to any police watching this… but we have no choice."

The screen flickered, and a single symbol emblazoned in yellow on a black background appeared.

Mogi's eye twitched. "What is that stupid thing?" he groaned.

Near tugged a lock of hair. "It's a smiley face," he muttered. "Except its mouth is a straight line."

Matsuda blinked. "Oh, hey… isn't that one of those weird symbol fonts? You know, Wingdings or something?"

A brief tapping sound emitted from the computer, and then Watarai's voice said, "Matsuda-san is correct. That's a 'K' in Wingdings font."

Aizawa sighed. "This is absurd…" he muttered.

Onscreen, the new Kira's distorted voice began to speak. "Greetings to the world," it said. "Rejoice, faithful followers of Kira. Kira has come again!"

The people gathered in the conference room stared as the voice continued. "Although our original savior lies dead still, I have inherited his power and his spirit. I was chosen by the ghost of Kira himself to continue his holy work, and cleanse this world of the wicked! And I call upon all of Kira's servants to rise once again and aid me in my duty to Lord Kira!"

Near fiddled with his hair. "Maybe using Mikami-san's figure wasn't such a bad idea after all," he muttered.

"Kira" began to speak again. "There is one last thing to be addressed," it said. "I am aware already of one other with the same power as Kira and myself. But he has been using it in a very foolish manner, and one which goes against the wishes of our Lord. I call upon this mocker, this look-alike Kira, to present himself to the world, to beg Lord Kira's forgiveness, and to join our cause and serve our master, even in death!" Despite the distortion, the voice now took on an almost happy tone. "After all, we are both inheritors of Kira's will. It is only right that we should work together, for the good of all."

The screen flickered and vanished, revealing the news anchor, still terrified. Near swiveled his chair back to face the others. "So," he said. "I would say that confirms my two-Kira theory quite nicely, wouldn't you?"

Matsuda nodded. "Yeah…" he said. "But, then…"

Gevanni banged his fist on the table. "Why are we ruling out the most likely suspect?" he snapped. "What about the Kira we were just discussing? This could all be a ruse to get us to waste time looking for some nonexistent second Kira while he conducts his reign of terror!"

Near fiddled with a couple of the figurines. " Unlikely," he said. "The first new Kira's psychology indicates that he would never do something like this." His eyes flickered. "Remember, he avoided killing even men who were pointing guns at him whenever possible. It's clear that he dislikes killing, even as a last resort."

He lifted Teru's figure into the air. "Meanwhile, there's the Kira behind this videotape," he said. "Watarai, anything?"

"Yes," came Watarai's voice. "I checked with the anchor who broadcast the tape, and he stated that a man walked into the studio and presented a tape and an envelope. After doing so, the man died of a heart attack. One of the staff then opened the envelope, and found a message reading, 'Now that you have seen proof of my power, play the tape you were presented with, or I will kill everyone in the studio.' It was signed, 'Neo-Kira'." Watarai sighed. "Faced with this proof and threat, the anchor immediately caved and broadcast the tape. It's quite a mess, actually."

Near nodded. "And the carrier?" he asked.

"The police have identified the body already," Watarai said. "A small-time Mafia member who had recently been released from prison."

Near paused. "He'd served his time," he muttered. "And there weren't any indications that he'd returned to his old position, correct?"

"Yes," replied Watarai.

Near stared at the Teru figure. "Then why would even Kira do anything to him?" he muttered. "It's clear that he used the Death Note to control the man…"

A knock came on the door. Gevanni grit his teeth. "We're in a meeting!" he snapped. "Come back later!"

Near sighed. "Relax, Gevanni-san," he said softly. "It's all right. Come in."

A nervous-looking policeman opened the door and stood back, allowing a young woman to enter the room. "W-well," he stammered. "This girl… she says she has information regarding… the new Kira." He saluted. "I'll just go now, shall I?"

Near nodded, and the man closed the door. He turned his eyes on the girl. "Well?" he said softly. "You have information?"

The girl looked slowly around the room, somewhat fearfully. "Um… who exactly are all of you?" she asked.

Near's eyebrows lowered slightly. "I am L," he said softly. "I had already realized that there was a new Kira on the move, and so I assembled the same task force used to combat the original Kira. Now, what do you have to tell us?"

Matsuda smiled kindly at her. "It's all right," he said. "Just tell us what you know about Kira."

The girl nodded. "All right…" She turned to face the others. "My name is Asahi Kouya," she said softly. "Three nights ago… Kira saved my life."

Matsuda's eyes widened. "Then… you saw him?" he gasped.

Kouya nodded. "Yes…" She looked at Near. "The officer I spoke to thought you would want to hear my account," she explained. "Would you?"

Near nodded. "Yes…" he said softly. "I've been given reports on the witness' stories, but I've never heard one myself. It might help me understand this new 'Kira' better."

Kouya nodded again. "All right…" she said. "As I said, this all happened three nights ago. I was walking home, when a man came up to me and asked directions. I pointed out the way he was looking for, but then he grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards him." She shivered. "I was able to break away, and ran down an alleyway, but he chased me. I tripped, and he caught up and pulled out a gun."

Ide grit his teeth. "How do they keep getting firearms?" he muttered. "It doesn't make sense…"

Near shook his head. "The black market has been getting stronger recently. This would have only been the latest in a recent rash of gun-related crimes." He nodded to Kouya. "Go on," he added quietly.

Kouya nodded. "Well… just then, someone came out of the shadows and spoke to my attacker."

Matsuda sat up. "Did you see him?"

Kouya shook her head. "It was dark, and he had his hood up," she explained. "So I couldn't really say anything about him." She paused, and then went on. "He handed the attacker a piece of paper, and when he took it, he suddenly became terrified."

Gevanni regarded her over steepled fingers. "Did either of them mention shinigami?" he asked.

Kouya nodded. "Yes… the one who saved me. He said he was their agent."

Gevanni shot Near a look. "Yes, hardly like Kira at all," he said sarcastically.

Kouya blinked. "But… but I saw it too!" she cut in. "I touched his notebook by mistake, and…"

Matsuda sat up. "You saw it?" he exclaimed. "Did you hear a name?"

Kouya blinked, thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Yes," she replied. "It was 'Zerak'. That's what he said when he talked to it."

"So, not Ryuk, then. It seems we're dealing with a new adversary." Near's voice was as calm as always. "And your attacker? What happened to him?"

Kouya paled slightly. "He's… dead," she said. "He wrote something down in his notebook, said something out loud, and then…"

Near nodded. "That's a Death Note all right," he muttered. "And what exactly did he say?"

Kouya shivered. "That's the strange thing… He predicted just the way the man would die. He said that he was going to try to shoot him, but his gun would jam, and then he would die of a heart attack…"

Linder rubbed her chin. "Interesting tactic," she said. "It certainly gets around…" She paused, and looked at Near. "Why are we saying all of this in front of her?" she asked.

Near shrugged. "Well, I'm sure she's not going to tell anyone any of this, right Asahi-san?" he asked. "And besides, she knows most if not all of what we've said anyway. As for 'Death Note', all that does is give her a name to put to the notebook she saw. Not cause for concern."

Kouya nodded. "I wouldn't tell," she said. "This is police business, after all…"

Ide caught her eye. "One last thing, Asahi-san," he said. "Did you see any sort of identifying marks on him? Tattoos, anything like that?"

Kouya shook her head. "No… but I did get a look at his face," she said. "He was really nice… He called a taxi for me and stayed with me until it came."

Aizawa nodded. "And that's when?" he asked. "What did he look like?"

Kouya paused. "You're… not going to do anything to him, are you?" she asked. "I mean… he did that to save my life…"

Matsuda smiled. "It's all right," he said reassuringly. "After all, he hasn't committed a crime, not exactly, so he's not going to be jailed…" He leaned back in his chair. "Just tell us what you saw."

Ide glared at him. "Matsuda-san! He's a killer!"

Near held up his hand. "Killing in self-defense isn't murder," he said. "Go on."

Kouya nodded. "All right…" she said. "Well… he was kind of tall… long brown hair… He's got a very kind face, not something you'd expect from a guy who'd just killed someone…" She nodded. "His eyes are light blue. I think that's all there is… but I could probably identify him if I saw him again."

Near nodded. "Good…" He looked up at her. "Hearing it first-hand was very helpful. Thank you for coming and telling us all this."

Aizawa stood. "I'll escort you out," he said. "If there's nothing else you want to say, that is…"

Kouya shook her head. "Just… that he's a good person. So please, don't do anything to him…"

She was cut off as the phone on the table rung. Gevanni picked it up. "Yes?"

The voice on the other end was calm. "Put me on speakerphone, please. I'd like to talk to all of you."

Ide blinked. "Who is this?"

The voice chuckled softly. "Someone who wants to talk to the whole of the SPK at once, not just their secretary."

Ide recoiled briefly, and then reached out and pressed the speakerphone button. "Okay, you're on," he said.

"Ah…" said the voice. "Greetings, members of the SPK. And especially to you… Near."


	2. Discourse

The others around the table recoiled in shock. Even Near seemed to be surprised. Aizawa glanced at Kouya and held up a hand. "Just a moment," he said to the caller.

The caller's voice was smooth and relaxed. "Of course," he said. "Take as long as you need."

Aizawa nodded, and jabbed the mute button on the phone. "Asahi-san," he said politely. "Thank you for your information, but I must ask you to leave now."

Kouya nodded and bowed. "Of course," she said. "Contact me if anything else is needed."

As she turned, Near spoke. "One last thing," he said. "Please do not mention the name 'Near' to anyone else, or even my presence as the head of the SPK, if at all possible. That name isn't supposed to be known far and wide."

Kouya nodded, and left. Near himself returned the phone to normal speakerphone. "All right, go ahead," he said softly. "Just who are you, and why are you calling us?"

The voice on the phone paused for a moment. "I knew you'd be there, Near," it said softly. "It's been a while since I've heard your voice."

Near blinked, and for a moment, total shock stood out on his face. Then he shook his head and looked over at the computer. He stood up, walked over, and typed in a message. _Do a voice-match on this caller. Cross-reference it with all Wammy's House personnel._

Watari's voice came back plainly. "Right away."

The voice laughed. "A voice-match, right? Allow me to save you some time by telling you not to bother checking me against the staff."

Aizawa glared at the phone. "Who are you?" he shouted. "And how could you have known about the SPK?"

Another laugh. "Well… I deduced it, really. After all, with the recent rash of killings and incidents, I knew that 'L' would deduce the existence of a new Kira, and likely recall the task force. When I learned that an NPA conference room had been reserved today for an unknown purpose, and that someone matching Commander Rester's description had been sighted near there, my suspicions were confirmed."

Matsuda blinked. "Commander Rester?"

Near nodded. "He escorted me here," he said quietly. "He's outside the room, at the moment. That's probably why that policeman was so nervous earlier."

Ide frowned. "You said 'L'… so how did you know it was Near?"

"Because," said the voice. "I learned of the death of the original L… and I knew, of course, that either Mello or Near would end up as his successor. Mello doesn't seem the type to work with the police… so that left you as the leader, Near."

Near nodded. "Interesting deduction," he said. "But… you've given quite a lot away with those few simple statements."

The other man seemed amused. "Oh, have I?" he chuckled. "Well, go ahead and reveal them. I'd never deny you a Sherlock moment, Near."

Near tensed slightly, then relaxed and fiddled with his hair. "Well, first of all," he said. "I'm pretty sure that you're connected to the police somehow. And that you have access to a great deal of information that you shouldn't."

Matsuda blinked. "Because of the conference room thing?" he asked.

It was the voice that answered. "That, and the fact that I knew about the incidents that led Near to call this meeting. I seriously doubt that Near would have let them become public knowledge, considering the Kira-esque elements."

Near nodded. "Yes… that would be why," he said. "In fact, all of the witnesses have been sworn to secrecy, and the case files aren't even in the main NPA database." He turned to face the window. "Three possibilities offer themselves at this stage," he said, his voice now firm and clear. "The first is that you somehow hacked the NPA database's restricted sectors. But this isn't very likely. Such an action would have been detected." He picked up a figure of a policeman. "It could also be that you have a contact in the NPA who's been telling you all this…" He stopped, and held very still for a moment, gripping the figure so tightly his hand trembled. "Or… and this is the one I suspect the most…" He spun in his chair. "You are Kira."

A loud laugh from the phone answered him. "Very good, very good, Near!" it said. "I thought you'd figure that out!"

Aizawa stared. "No way…"

Matsuda blanched. "He was… _baiting_ Near, the whole time!"

The voice continued. "It's true, Near. I am one of the two new Kiras in this world." He sounded happy. "Although, I don't like being called 'Kira' that much… After all, Kira killed convicted criminals, while I have killed seven people in order to prevent them from killing others, and bloodlessly prevented sixteen other violent crimes."

Gevanni's eyebrows lowered. "And you think that makes you better than him?" he said, almost growling. "You're just like him!"

The caller sighed. "I'm not going to debate my reasons with you," he said. "Whoever you are… I called for two reasons." He paused. "The first was to reveal myself to those against Kira… and especially you, Near. And then…" Another pause. "You've heard about the penitentiary killings, right?"

Lidner nodded. "Of course," she said. "It's awful…"

The voice turned soft. "That was not my doing," he said. "That is my other reason for calling… because I want to offer my help to you. I want to help catch this new Kira."

Near blinked. "Oh, really?" he said. "How can we trust you?"

"I'll let you choose the meeting-place," said the voice. "I'd like to meet, and discuss the possibility of cooperating. I'll conform to any conditions you set… save for permanently surrendering my Death Note."

Matsuda blinked. "Well, if he wants to help us…"

Ide slammed his fist on the table. "Absolutely not! How can you even think of working with a Kira?" he shouted.

Lidner groaned. "Idiots…" she muttered. "Calm down."

Near nodded. "We'll discuss it here," he said. "Watari will contact you with our decision. Is that all right?"

"Perfectly," said the caller. "Well… I hope to see you soon, Near." There was a click, and the connection dropped.

Kira-zero smiled and leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. "So…" he said, glancing at Zerak. "That seems to have gone well."

Zerak chuckled. "Think they'll meet with you?"

Kira-zero shrugged. "I hope so," he said. "If for no other reason, I want to meet Near again. It's been a long time…"

Near fiddled with a lock of his hair. "Well," he said. "I would like to hear your opinions on this. After all, L chose you, the members of the Japanese task force, because he trusted you. And of course the SPK members have my trust."

Matsuda rubbed his chin. "I'm… not sure…" he said. "I mean, personally, I want to meet this guy. He seems sincere, and if you think about it…" He gulped. "Well, I mean, it might be good to have a Death Note on our side this time."

Aizawa slammed his hand down on the table. "Are you insane, Matsuda-san?" he yelled. "You want to work with someone who's following in Kira's footsteps?"

Lidner shook her head. "But he isn't," she said. "He's a different sort of user." She glanced at Near. "Don't you agree?"

Near nodded slowly. "The pattern of deaths and incidents are very different from the usual Kira," he said.

Matsuda nodded. "See?" he said. "He's a good guy. He wants to stop Kira, just like we do!"

Gevanni snorted. "Need I remind you all that we were convened today to discuss the case of this very individual?"

Mogi nodded slowly. "In the end, I trust Near," he said. "I'll go along with whatever he decides."

Watari and Near both remained silent. Matsuda turned hesitantly to Ide. "What about you?" he asked.

Ide shrugged. "I don't know." He glanced at Matsuda. "Then again, I still don't really know what I think, about whether any of us were right or wrong, back then…" His eyes flashed. "But I know Near's right. This guy isn't a killer, let alone a Kira. I say we hear what he has to say."

Near sighed, and stood. "I, too, think we should at least hear him out," he said. "And also…" He shook his head, looking almost troubled. "I don't quite understand it, but he seems familiar, somehow…"

Aizawa nodded. "You told Watari to check his voice against people connected to Wammy's House," he said. "So it would make sense."

Near nodded. "Right…" He turned and headed for the door. "And also… I feel I can trust him, completely. It's… strange, really." He opened the door. "Determine a time to meet with him, and tell Watari. He'll relay it to Kira-zero."

Matsuda stood. "Will you attend, Near?" he asked.

Near turned and looked back. "I'm L," he said simply. "Of course I'm going to meet with him."

Zerak laughed softly. "Been almost an hour now," he said. "You still think they're going to meet with you?"

Kira-zero smiled. "It's Near," he said. "He'll do it."

The phone rang, and he picked it up. "This is Watari," the voice on the other line said.

Kira-zero nodded. "I thought so. Don't worry, the line's secure." He smiled. "It's been a long while, Roger Ruvie."

Watari caught his breath. "I thought so…" he said. "It's you, isn't it?"

Kira-zero chuckled. "Yep. I bet you weren't expecting me." He tilted his head. "Do me a favor, please… don't tell Near, okay? I want it to be a surprise."

Watari nodded. "All right," he said. "I see your mental facilities haven't fallen since you left us." He paused. "How did you know it was me?"

Kira-zero sighed. "I heard about Wammy-san's death," he said. "Considering, well, several factors, it was pretty obvious that he was the first Watari. And after his death… well, you would of course be his natural successor."

Watari laughed. "Indeed, you're as sharp as ever," he said. "Anyway, the task force has agreed on a meeting time. You'll go to the old pier at 3:00 PM in three days, and two of the members will transport you to the meeting from there."

Kira-zero nodded. "I understand," he said. "Thank you. I'll talk to you soon." He hung up the phone and smiled at Zerak. "Three days," he said. "I can hardly wait."

Kouya walked slowly down the main street back towards her home. "Three days," she murmured, pulling the tiny transmitter out of her ear. "Kira-zero… they'd better not try anything…" She looked up at the sky, sighing. "We'll meet again, my savior… in three days."

Commander Rester turned to glance at Near as they reached a red light. "I just got word from Watari," he said. "The meeting's set three days from now… in _that_ place."

Near nodded, staring out the tinted glass window as he hugged his knees. "Three days…" he muttered. "Things are about to get interesting…"

And in the Shinigami realm, a familiar laugh was heard. "In three days… Looks like it's all going to start again." A shape squatted at the observation hole, gazing down on the human world. It laughed again. "Hyuk, hyuk… humans are just as interesting as they were two years ago…"

Author's Notes: Sorry this one is so short, but that's just sort of where the chapter naturally broke. The meeting should be a good long chunk, if I do it right, so hopefully that'll make up for it. Anyway, not much to say about this one...


End file.
